Promise of men
by JupiterGodess
Summary: In the aftermath of a bloody punishment for robbery of a goddess's blood, two men reforge their bond of friendship. (Episode G. Set after Aiolos fights Galarian as punishment for the latter's robbery of Athena's blood.)


**Promise of men**

He floated in blissful darkness. There were no thoughts, no pain or worries haunting him. He wished it would stay like this forever. Maybe he was dead and this was the afterlife? Well, not exactly exhiliarating, but not bad either. And knowing who had ended his life hadn't been just anybody filled him with peace.

,Thank you, my friend.'

Then the blackness started to brighten and his consciousness rose like from a deep lake back to the surface.

Pain hit him. It made him gasp and fling his eyes open. He tried to breathe slowly and deeply, until the pain faded to a throb. Only then started he to notice the room. It was dark, lit only by a flickering light, probably from a torch.

„Hey, Galan. You're awake. I'm glad."

Galan turned his head towards the voice. A familiar figure sat on a chair beside his bed.

„Aio… los…"

His friend smiled down at him. His golden blonde hair and white tunic glowed orange-reddish in the torchlight. It was a torch after all, Galan saw it on the wall behind Aiolos.

„How are you?", the Sagittarian asked. Concern crept to his face.

„Still a little sore." Galan smiled weakly. „But how come I am still alive? I thought I had a duel to the death with you."

„You had, but… Well… Death seemed so harsh a punishment. Loosing your mother after risking everything tryingt to save her was punishment enough. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to prevent… this…"

Aiolos averted his eyes. He almost seemed tob e miserable. It confused Galan. He waited for his friend to continue. As the silence went on, however, a strange feeling overcame him. Wasn't there something wrong with his sight? And what was that strange sensation in the right side of his body? What did Aiolos mean with „this"? He tried to move his hand. Nothing. With his left hand, he pulled away the blanket.

His right arm and leg were gone.

A feeling of nausea washed over Galan, and his head spun. He stared at the bandages that covered the stumps.

,I'm a cripple', his brain murmured. ,I'm a cripple, I'm a cripple, I'm a cripple.'

And his right eye… he closed only his left eye, and was immediately plunged into blackness. So he had lost an arm, a leg and an eye.

,But you're still alive', another voice whispered in his head.

„I'm sorry." Aiolos still couldn't look at him. He was definitively miserable now. „I was too selfish. I just couldn't kill you. You are my friend. The only thing I could do was injuring you so much Pope Shion would deem it punishment enough. So I guided my Infinity Break accordingly. I'm so sorry for…"

„Stop it, archer."

The Gold Saint looked at him in surprise.

„Don't you dare get guilty on me", Galan continued. „You only did what I asked you to. Besides, it is my own fault. I tried to steal Athena's icor to heal my mother. What I lost is a price I am willing to pay for that. After all, I should have lost more. I should have lost a life. What are an arm, a leg and an eye in comparison to that? Besides, you took a great risk to yourself when kinda saving me. You saved my life when it was your task to kill me. I owe you deeply."

„Galan…"

There was a long silence. He waited patiently for his friend to answer. Knowing his good heart, Galan could imagine he had given the Sagittarian quite something to chew on.

Finally, there was a smile.

„Thank you, my friend." Aiolos face became radiant with warmth. „Your forgiveness means a lot to me."

„Hey, I can't forgive where there's nothing that needs forgiveness." Aw, his friend was just too cute. Always caring and worrying about those he likes. But that's probably what made Aiolos so lovable and why Galan had come to like him so much.

„If that is how you see it." A gleam sparkled in Aiolos' eyes. „As for your arm and leg… I already gave mechanical replacments into commission. They'll be made of steel and you'll be able to move just like before. Only for the eye there was nothing that could be done about."

„You jerk!" Galan sat up a little and boxed his friend playfully in the arm. „How much do you intend to indebt me to you?!"

Aiolos just laughed. Then he Gold Saint turned serious again. „What am I laughing about." A light, unusual bitterness swang in his voice. „It's not funny at all. I'm really, really sorry, Galan. Had I known another way to save your life and punish you at the same time, I would have done it. Without you loosing arm or leg… or… your eye…"

Aiolos broke off. What he had been forced to do to his friend must have shaken him deeply. Galan stared at him for a moment, touched by this new display of the Sagittarian's big and gentle heart. And he realised what was going in inside him. Aiolos was a strong warrior, in body and mind. But that strenght was a mere shell for a heart that was so soft that it was wounded by the tiniest blow. Although only those the very closest to Aiolos would ever get to see that soft heart. With a short fit of worry, Galan asked himself if he actually realised the full extend of what the Gold Saint was going through. Probably not. After all, Galan was not Aiolos.

He needed to act. The former trainee grabbed his friend's hand with his remaining one. Staring deeply into the archer's eyes, he said, almost angrily: „It's okay. It really is. Don't fall back into guilt. Don't you dare do that." He hoped that his eyes would convince his friend of the truth.

The tone perplexed the Sagittarian into silence. Galan left him no chance to react, but continued speaking. „You saved my life. Sure, I lost an arm, a leg and an eye. But I live! And it seems you have taken care of my lost body parts already. So don't even start blaming yourself. If there is anyone to blame, it is me. I shouldn't have taken Athena's icor." He paused. „Besides… do you know why I wanted it to be you doing it?"

Aiolos shook his head silently.

A smile crept on Galan's face. „It's… because I knew you'd be the only one strong enough to do it."

The Gold Saint's eyes widened. „You think so?"

„Think about it. Who else is as close to me as you? Barely anyone. And who of those would have had the strenght to actually fight me with the intent of killing me? Aiolia? I don't think so."

Aiolos lowered his head and remained silent for a few moments. Then he looked up, into his injured friend's face. A fire seemed to flicker in those deep green eyes; green flames, kindled by Aiolos' soul and heart.

„Galan", he said, in a tone so serious it almost frightened the injured man. „Will we remain friends? Despite of what I did to you?"

The former trainee felt tears rising to his eyes. Aiolos asking his friendship meant more to him than the Gold Saint might ever know. Moved by those words, he tightened the grip on his friends hand.

„Of course we will", he replied. „We'll always be friends, no matter what. You and Aiolia… no matter what'll happen, you'll always be like brothers to me."

„Promise?"

„Promise."

And Aiolos smiled. It was his usual bright smile, able to illuminate the greatest darkness.

„Then I shall promise as well. Let's promise to each other that we'll be friends forever. No matter what. But let's not promise as Gold Saint and former trainee. Just like we didn't fight as such."

Galan smiled. „But let's promise as two men", he finished for Aiolos.


End file.
